Mark Your Calendars for Our Monthly Tasting!

Friday, February 20, 4-7 PM with Jack Scully from Easterly Wines

We are still working on finalizing the selections, but with a portfolio as stellar as Easterly's this is a tasting you won't want to miss!

 A morbid, irrational fear of or aversion to wine is called...

A)  Pentheraphobia
B)  Nelophobia 
C)  Oenophobia
D)  Zemmiphobia

Answer at the end of the newsletter (no peeking!)

Wine: KWV Steen is back! It sells quick, so if you like this South African white come grab some while its here! Also, many of you may remember the great values the Nelson Estate Cabernet Franc and Merlot were. They are BOTH in now! These wines drink like twice their price. If you would like any of these, or any other wines set aside for you, contact Anne at info@mckeanandcharles.com for more information.

Beer: The Smuttynose Big Beer Series offering is the Really OId Brown Dog. If you like Old Brown Dog or any Brown Ales you will love this. We also have the 2nd Edition of Nogne's (pronounced "known-yo") Dark Horizon. This is a very hard to find, huge & complex 14% Russian Imperial Stout that is produced in limited, individually numbered bottles. The Ridgeway Xmas beers from England (the Bad Elf series and others like Lump Of Coal English Stout and Santa's Butt English Porter) are still available and are great cold weather beers to warm you up. Contact Todd "The Beer Guy" at info@mckeanandcharles.com for some amazing specials on these "naughty" seasonal offerings from Ridgeway!

Spirits: Like single malt scotch? How does Macallan 18 and Lagavulin 16Vermont Gold, a vodka made from 100% maple syrup!

This is an exciting opportunity for our customers to try a new wine at exceptional value.

Each month McKean and Charles is working with our distributors to find an excellent wine to be offered at a special price to club members.  Each wine will cost members just $15.00 but will always be valued at more (sometimes much more!).

Members are advised of the wine by the 5^th of each month and the wine will be available on the 10^th of each month.  Wines have complete tasting notes and space for members to record their impressions on the wine.  Members have a membership certificate kept at the store with each month’s selection.  If you lose your notes or just forget, we can look it up for you.

To join the club, simply stop by the store and complete a Wine Club Membership Agreement.  The agreement will be for a period of 1 year.  By signing the member agrees to have his/her credit/debit card charged $15.00 (plus tax & deposit) on the 10^th of each month.  If you cannot pick up your wine by the 10^th it will be held your name.  This is a great way to try new wines, but we realize there may be a month you truly do not want the selection, therefore you will be allowed to “opt out” up to two times during the year, if you choose.

This month’s selection is Ode from Boutari wine producers.  Ode is a blend of 50% Agiorgitiko and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Peloponnese in Southern Greece.  Agiorgitiko is a native red grape with a mild flavor and very little acidity.  It gives the wine a velvety smoothness and nice fruit.  The Cabernet Sauvignon is quite tannic and gives the wine its structure.  When poured you will notice a deep red purple color with aromas of marmalade combined with cocoa, vanilla, smoke, honey and oak.  The wine is smooth, full-bodied with good balance. The finish is lingering with plum and fig.  The combination of the two grapes creates a wine that will further develop when properly cellared.

For more information or to join the Wine Of The Month club, email us at info@mckeanandcharles.com today!

... that the soil of the Burgundy vineyard Clos de Vougeot is allegedly so precious that workers are required to scrape all of it from their shoes before they leave each night?

Anne's Pick:  Allegrini - Palazzo Della Torre  - 2001 - $22.96

This wine has been selected by Wine Spectator as one of the “Top 100 wines of the World” for five years in a row.  It is one of my favorite Italian wines.  It is full-bodied with rich red fruit, silky tannins and a long, fruity, minerally finish.

The wine is made from 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese.  The majority of the fruit is fermented normally, but a portion of it is left to air dry on racks (Amarone style) and, after fermentation, added to the rest of the wine. This process gives the Palazzo Della Torre an unusual level of richness, density and complexity. It is an excellent value compared to an Amarone.

It is my go to wine for anything with a red meat sauce (baked ziti, lasagna, meatballs, yum!).  It also pairs very well with grilled or roasted meats & vegetables.

Mangiamo, Beviamo e Cantiamo!

Todd's Pick: Chateau Lamartine - Cahors - 2005 - $18.99

Those of you who attended our January tasting with admitted "wine geek" Ned Swain of Devenish Wines were exposed to this fantastic, complex example of "Old World" Malbec. This is nothing like the bright, fruited Malbecs of Argentina & Chile. This one has attitude. It commands your attention.

Ever heard the term "black wines"? Well, this French wine is pretty close. Deep and dark, its practically opaque. The fruit from this Old World Malbec, while bright, is not in your face but rather subtle. Underlying all of this are some great tannic, leathery qualities that provide a old, wooden barn floor for the fruits (I picked up elderberry) to sing and dance on. Its smooth up front, glassy, silken on the tongue, but gives way to a tighter, drier finish.

If you are a fan of my last recommendation (Montpezat Prestige) you will love this. Best enjoyed decanted and with a few hours to breathe, don't be in a hurry to drink it. Savor it. Relax. Unwind. We are talking "Old World" Malbec, not fiber optic, digitized Malbec. A fantastic wine that would work really well with aged beef, rich sauces, ripened cheese or simple country fare. It could benefit from 3-5 years in the cellar, but who's kidding who? This is drinking great NOW.

Want either of these selections held for you as a Special Order? Email your request to info@mckeanandcharles.com and let us know what you want!

Puzzler Answer: